The hip hop community mourned the passing of Lil Peep (whose real name is Gus Ahr) on Saturday, Dec. 2. His fans and loved ones gathered at the Allegria Hotel in Long Island, New York, where he grew up, to honor and remember the talented young artist roughly 2 weeks after his death. The event was a standing-room-only event featuring some thoughtful words from the rapper’s family including his mother Liza Womack and his grandmother Jenny Kastner, among others. Although his time in the spotlight was brief, take one look at the enormous crowd gathered to honor him and it’s plain to see he had an enormous impact on the music world. Head here to see more moments from the service.
The rising star was just 21 when he died of an apparent overdose on Nov. 15 just before he was scheduled to perform in Tuscon, Arizona. His body was discovered surrounded by drug paraphernalia on his tour bus outside the venue, according to TMZ. He had been tour promoting his debut album Come Over When You’re Sober. The rapper found fame after garnering a huge audience on SoundCloud and YouTube. His passing was met with shock but perhaps not surprise from those who were closest to him. “I’ve been expecting this call for a year. Mother f***,” Peep’s tour manager Chase Ortega tweeted out upon learning the tragic news.
In the past, Peep had been forthright about his struggle with depression. “Some days I wake up and I’m like….f***, I wish I didn’t wake up,” he told Pitchfork. “I don’t express that side of myself on social media. That’s the side of myself I express through music. That’s my channel for letting all that s*** out.” He added that he often dealt with it by “smoking weed and whatever other drug comes my way.”
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